Airbus says aims to cut CSeries costs, sell 'big volumes'

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FILE PHOTO: An Airbus A320neo aircraft and a Bombardier CSeries aircraft are pictured during a news conference to announce a partnership between Airbus and Bombardier on the C Series aircraft programme, in Colomiers near Toulouse, France, October 17, 2017. REUTERS/Regis Duvignau/File Photo

PARIS (Reuters) - Airbus (AIR.PA) said on Friday it aims to reduce recurring costs of Bombardier’s (BBDb.TO) CSeries so that it can sell the jetliner in “big volumes” as soon as a deal to buy the loss-making program from Canada’s Bombardier is completed.

“We are ready to hit the market” using the global Airbus sales force as soon as the deal closes, Airbus executive Harald Wilhelm told analysts.

People familiar with the matter told Reuters in Canada earlier this week that the deal is expected to clear the final regulatory hurdles by the end of May.

On Thursday, Reuters reported that Airbus is preparing to put pressure on United Technologies (UTX.N) over the price of components and services for the CSeries as the supplier completes its own merger deal with Rockwell Collins (COL.N).

The resulting group is set to be by far the biggest supplier for CSeries parts, from engines to avionics.